This invention relates to processed cheese and, more particularly to a method for making a processed cheese-like product including soy cheese as a part of the major ingredient and the product made thereby.
In a typical process for making processed dairy cheese, one or more lots of natural dairy cheese are ground, melted and blended with various seasoning materials. The melted product is then extruded or otherwise introduced into forms of desired shape, cooled, and packaged for direct sale to the consumer. Several different kinds of natural cheeses can be mixed together and used as the raw material. Also, natural dairy cheeses of different ripeness and even cheeses having inferior texture and flavor can be used as the raw material. It is known that so-called melting salts, such as sodium phosphates, sodium citrate and sodium tartrate, can be added to the cheese to enhance melting.
In addition to being able to use otherwise unacceptable cheeses, processed dairy cheese has many other advantages, such as long shelf life because of the pasteurization during processing, a milk taste which is preferred for many uses, a flavor and texture that can be adjusted as desired by changing the type and proportions of dairy cheeses used, and a highly uniform quality.
Although many methods have been proposed for producing so-called soy cheese from soy protein, soy cheese has not become widely used. One of the primary draw backs to a more widespread use lies in the fact that natural soy cheeses are not readily adaptable as a raw material in conventional processes for making processed cheese. Therefore, the advantages associated with processed dairy cheeses have not heretofore been available to soy cheeses.
When heated to melting temperatures, natural soy cheeses tend to coagulate into a rubbery mass and, in some cases, the fats tend to separate therefrom. The melting salts used for natural dairy cheeses are not effective for eliminating these problems. When the melting salts are added to natural soy cheeses in amounts ordinarily used for making processed dairy cheeses, there is very little softening. Larger amounts of the melting salts only soften the natural soy cheeses to a consistency resembling cheese spread. Upon being packaged, such a softened product has a fragile texture and lacks good cohesiveness.